Mike the Tiger, the real-life Siberian Bengal mascot of the LSU Tigers, can often be seen wandering between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also likes to be a little silly sometimes.
A video shared by former college basketball coach Lance Loya on March 2 that’s been going viral online (with nearly 4 million views on Facebook as of Saturday) shows the big cat in action. It shows the water splashing in the water on the ground. A glass wall where visitors can check on him. One visitor in particular, a little boy, was clearly excited by Mike’s antics.
“I recently visited LSU’s campus and witnessed an interaction between this young fan and LSU’s tiger mascot, Mike,” Loya said. “We can’t decide whether that reflects the boy’s fearlessness or the parents’ confidence in the enclosure’s design.”
Indeed, that thin glass pane separated the infant from its very strong legs. According to BBC Science Focus, the strength of its legs could instantly kill humans.
According to the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation, former LSU athletic department trainer Cheris “Mike” Chambers came up with the idea of purchasing a real tiger in 1934. He gathered a group and he raised $750 and the tiger arrived in his 1936. That first Tiger, known as Mike I, traveled with the LSU team and served as the school’s mascot until his death related to kidney disease in 1956.
Since then, the school has welcomed several new “Mike” Tigers to follow in his footsteps. In 2005, Mike V’s 15,000 square foot environment was created as his new home at a cost of $3.7 million. In 2017, the current mascot, Mike VII, was donated to the school by the Wild at Heart Wildlife Center in Florida.
Loya said in a blog post that she witnessed an interaction between a tiger and a toddler last month. He said he was shocked by how fearless the boy was.
“I thought this interaction was unique.” calvin and hobbes“It’s like an interaction between a cute, innocent child and a curious tiger,” the coach explained. “I just took the video to show my girlfriend what I witnessed.”
He also said the experience of going viral taught him new things about being a good teammate.
